.:Goodbye For Now:.

The time was growing dangerously close. Sherlock would be meeting with Moriarty soon. He looked over and saw John passed out on one of the lab counters. He stared so intently at him as the thoughts of what would occur in the next hours went through his mind. This could very well be the last time he saw John for a while. An emotion entered him which he didn't understand. Was it sadness? Whatever it was, he didn't like it. He closed his eyes and took a breath. He knew what he needed to do to get this over with. He took out his phone and wrote a text to an individual known only to him. In the body of the message, he'd told them to call John and tell him that their landlady had been shot. Make it sound convincing, he demanded. Of course, his demanding couldn't really be understood via text but he knew they'd get the idea all the same.

There were so many things he wanted to say to John right now but he feared he wouldn't know how to begin to express them. He had a plan. He always has a plan. He knew John wouldn't approve and the next time they were face to face, he'd be more than cross with him but it needed to be done. Sherlock Holmes was a dangerous man and dangerous to know. And seeing as John was the closest to him. there was no doubt in his vast brain that the good doctor was an obvious target.

Dear John...Sherlock thought to himself, I will keep you safe and I hope one day you'll forgive me.

He swallowed hard, wanting so badly to talk to him, maybe even hold him because his plan required loss of contact for quite some time. But it couldn't be. He could not afford to be careless. One moment of bliss could very well lead to a lifetime of sadness. It had to be this way.

The call came and John was gone.

Friends protect people. Yes, John. I know. I learned that from you.

Minutes later, another call. This one was from Sherlock to John. This was the hard part. Breaking John's heart. Shattering his unshakable faith. Impossible, he realized as the phone call went on, good old John Watson. A single tear fell from the detective's eye.Then, before he knew it, he tossed his phone aside. He couldn't bare to hear that wavering tone in his best friend's voice any longer. Time to fall.

Goodbye, John.

For now.

When you see me again, you can punch, kick and scream until I go deaf. But as long as you're alive to be able to do that, it will all be worth it.